


I Should Have Known

by chaircat



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: But WHO?, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, M/M, Nice Armitage Hux, POV Dopheld Mitaka, Pining, Poor Dopheld Mitaka, Possessive Behavior, Unrequited Love, now with art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22096978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaircat/pseuds/chaircat
Summary: Dopheld Mitaka is a determined and hard-working member of the First Order. When General Armitage Hux begins to show an interest in him, Dopheld is over the moon and a little bit infatuated.Does the General have feelings for him as well or does he just appreciate good work?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Dopheld Mitaka
Comments: 22
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long time. My last work was published over two years ago and I haven't written a single thing since. Naturally I decided to jump into the new decade with a multi-chapter fic that I have not planned out at all. Please be kind and forgive my rusty skills. Tags will be updated as chapters come out. I don't have a schedule but I will try not to take a super long time. Also the title will probably change because I don't like it but I couldn't think of anything.
> 
> As always, I own nothing and am writing this simply for fun. D*sney please don't snipe me.
> 
> Unbeta'd. We post garbage like men.

The room was dark. The rattle of snores seemed to vibrate the entire room, alerting the young man to the reason he was woken. Dopheld sighed, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and drowsily got to his feet. It was close enough to the next cycle and his shift on the bridge that he figured he might as well get up. Gathering his belongings, he made his way out of the room to the communal refresher.

The ‘fresher was empty, as most people were either working on their shift or sleeping in their rooms. He placed his clothes on the counter in the corner and stepped into the sonic. He closed his eyes as the vibrations pulsed over his body. His fellow crew members often expressed their yearning desire for a “real” shower, but Dopheld found he quite enjoyed the feel of the sonic. Not to mention the efficiency in both cleanliness and saving resources. Feeling thoroughly cleansed, he left the sonic, dressed in his uniform, smoothed out some invisible wrinkles, and made his way to the cafeteria.

As with the ‘fresher, it was early enough in the cycle that few people occupied the large room. Dopheld got a tray, filled it with the usual protein and vitamin rich foods and found a spot at an empty table in the corner of the room. While he would normally eat his food swiftly so as to make it to his post early enough to get a head start, he knew he had time to kill and so he ate his food slowly and thought about what his day would bring.

Just as he was nearing the end of his mental to-do list, a flash of orange caught Dopheld’s eye. He watched avidly as the General marched into the cafeteria. When the man got a tray and went to retrieve his food, Dopheld was surprised. He knew logically that he had to eat but he had never seen the General in this part of the ship before. He just assumed he took his food in his private quarters.

With his tray full, General Hux turned around, surveying the room. Dopheld’s heart jumped when their gazes met. The General raised an eyebrow and began making his way to his corner of the room. Dopheld’s eyes widened and he looked around himself to see if there was another person he had missed. Confirming that he was the only one in this direction, he turned back as the General reached his table.

“Lieutenant Mitaka, do you mind if I sit with you?”

Dopheld nodded his head quickly. The General took a seat and smiled at the younger man. The sight caused Dopheld to lose his breath.

“So tell me, Lieutenant. What are you doing here so early? If I recall, your shift isn’t for another few hours.” The General raised his eyebrow at him again as he took a sip of his caf. Dopheld cleared his throat.

“Y-yes sir, it is quite early. Unfortunately, my roommate tends to snore quite loudly and I wasn’t able to sleep through it. That’s why I came here.” He finished awkwardly, looking down at his food. “It wouldn’t be the first time,” he mumbled.

“That’s a shame. It must be quite difficult having such an unpleasant roommate.” Hux took a bite of his food. The tasteless mush Dopheld was used to seemed suddenly offensive in the elegant hands of the General before him. Shaking those thoughts from his head, it suddenly occurred to Dopheld that he had just complained about his living situation to the General of the First Order and that the man might not appreciate it.

“Oh n-no sir, it’s really okay,” he rushed to say. “I am truly grateful for what the First Order has given me and it is a minor inconvenience at best and I-” He was cut off by the General waving his hand.

“Relax, Lieutenant,” he chuckled. The sound sent a flush down Dopheld’s neck. “I’m not going to send you to reconditioning for saying your roommate snores. Honestly, I’ve been there and it can be quite frustrating.” He gave Dopheld a considering look. “You are an incredibly valuable member of my crew. I would hate to see your work suffer due to drowsiness.”

“Sir, I would never-” The General cut him off again with a hand and a smile.

“Of course not. I wasn’t suggesting that you would. I simply meant to say that if you found yourself struggling, I may be willing to find a more suitable arrangement for you.” Dopheld looked up at that, surprised.

“Really, sir? You would do that?” He had never heard of a Lieutenant being given another living assignment due to an annoying roommate.

“As I said, I would hate to see one of my most esteemed Lieutenants suffer in any way.” Dopheld beamed at those words. Hux smiled back before rising to his feet. “Thank you for the company, Lieutenant. I look forward to working with you today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork I need to attend to.”

“O-of course, sir! It was a pleasure!” Dopheld saluted the General as the man walked away. 

Slowly lowering his hand, he looked back down to his nearly forgotten food. The General’s words swam around his head. The whole conversation felt like a dream. The compliments, the kind offer, the _smiles_? Dopheld recalled the way his face brightened, making him seem younger and softer than he’d ever seen him. The way his eyes twinkled, the color reminding him of the sea foam from the waters of his home planet, made Dopheld’s heart pound in his chest.

Quickly finishing off his food, Dopheld jumped to his feet and disposed of his tray. With renewed energy, he made his way to the bridge and relieved the Lieutenant of his post, having decided to start his shift early. Surprised, the Lieutenant thanked him and went on his way, leaving Dopheld to begin his work. He happily did so, looking up every time someone new appeared, keeping an eye out for a flash of brilliant orange.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitaka has a lovely talk with the General.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't think I'd be updating this so soon, but what can I say? I'm inspired. My ideas are starting to come together with this and I'm starting to see where it will go. This will probably end up being about 6 chapters, give or take.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Lieutenant! The General requires a pot of caf in his office.”

“Yes, sir! I will get to that right away.” Dopheld paused his work where he knew it was safe to leave and rushed to the cafeteria to retrieve the desired drink. He hurried the droids along, filled a tray with mugs and the steaming pot, and made his way to the General’s office as quickly as he could without running or spilling the caf. Arriving at the door, he requested access and waited until the door slid open.

“I’ve brought the caf you requested, sir,” he said as he entered the room.

The General sat at the large desk in front of the floor-to-ceiling viewport, datapad in hand. He gave Dopheld a short tight-lipped smile and looked back down to his work. Dopheld poured some of the caf into a mug. The General reached for it without looking. He brought the mug to his mouth, inhaled deeply, and took a long drink. He closed his eyes, pale lashes fluttering against his cheeks, and sighed. He put his datapad down and wrapped both hands around the mug before looking up at Dopheld with a softer expression.

“Thank you, Mitaka. I needed this.”

“Of course, sir. Y-you’re welcome.” There was silence for a moment before Hux gestured to the chair in front of the desk.

“Please,” Hux smiled. “Sit. I could use the company.”

Dopheld hesitated for a moment, thinking of his work, before taking the seat offered to him. He could always catch up before going to bed. The General seemed pleased and picked up his datapad again. After several minutes, he spoke.

“Tell me about your home planet, Lieutenant. What was it like?” Dopheld was caught off guard by the question, unused to interest in his history.

“Oh, it’s just a small planet in the Ecceron system. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details.”

“Nonsense,” Hux scoffed not unkindly. “It was your home for a time. I’m sure you have much more to say about it.” He held Dopheld’s eyes. “I would like to hear.”

Dopheld was entranced for a moment and then it felt as though the words were being pulled out of him. He told the other man all about his home planet, Orus. He talked about the great oceans and how they were so clear that you could see to the bottom and how the water didn’t look very deep until you saw a massive tentacled creature the size of a small star destroyer swim by. He talked about the lavender sky with its emerald green clouds stretching across the horizon. He told him about the stark white trees with leaves soft as feathers and how when the trees died, their fallen leaves resembled piles of snow. He spoke for what felt like hours. The General continued to work on his datapad, but Dopheld was encouraged because he still seemed quite interested and asked many thoughtful questions whenever there was a pause. At one point, the General reached over and poured a mug of caf that he offered to Dopheld. It seemed an intimate gesture to the younger man and he held the mug reverently, enjoying the hot liquid slowly to savor it.

Just as he was finishing up a story about his exploration of the golden crystal caves as a child, the door to the office slid open. Dopheld turned to see the billowing of long black robes. He jumped to his feet and saluted, back ramrod straight.

“Lord Ren,” he acknowledged, all relaxation gone from his body.

The Knight stood before them, seeming to fill the entire space with his presence. His masked face stared down at the General for a few moments, then turned to face him. Dopheld swallowed hard, attempting to stay calm in the presence of such a volatile creature. He had never been this close to the man. _Was he a man?_ He imagined eyes staring through the dark slits in the helmet. Were there even eyes at all? He appeared humanoid, but then what could that helmet be meant to hide? Scars? A respirator like Lord Vader? Some terrible monstrosity?

“Ren!” The sharply spoken word made him jump. Lord Ren watched him a moment longer and then turned to face the General. Dopheld turned as well to see that the soft expression the man had held for their time together had now hardened, irritation evident. “Please explain to me why you felt the need to barge into my office without permission and interrupt a perfectly pleasant conversation between my lieutenant and I?”

The Knight turned to Dopheld again and seemed to look him up and down.

“I need to speak with you,” he said, vocoder removing any inflection or emotion that might have been there. “Alone,” he added, looking back at the General.

Hux sighed heavily and rubbed the skin between his eyes with gloved fingers as though trying to fend off a headache. He looked up at Dopheld with a tight smile, reminiscent of when he had first entered the office.

“Thank you for your company, Lieutenant. I very much enjoyed our conversation. I hope to continue it soon.” Dopheld felt himself blush.

“Y-yes, sir. I...would like that.” The General nodded and then turned to the Knight. Dopheld took it as the dismissal it was and turned to leave. As he went, he felt the Knight’s eyes follow him. Just as he reached the door, the General called after him.

“Mitaka.” He looked back. The General gave him an amused smile. “Try to get a good night’s rest.” Dopheld blushed again and smiled back shyly.

“I will try.” He left the room. Before the door fully closed, he heard Lord Ren speak.

“Would you care to explain what that was about?” Dopheld thought he heard some emotion slip through the helmet, but he wasn’t sure what it might have been.

“That would not be any of your business.” Hux replied.

The door slid shut at that moment, blocking out all sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't yet clear, I have absolutely no idea what Mitaka's job is and I am going to great lengths to avoid talking about it. Shoutout to fantasynamegenerators.com for the system and planet name. I hope you guys like this. I'm happy with where it is and where it's going. I hope you all are too. Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dopheld has a run in with Lord Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who may be interested, I have received the many requests that I finish my abandoned work: I Want To Know Everything (About You). I have finally given in and will be attempting to finish the story. That being said, it has been over 2 years and I had some issues with the writing, so I will be re-uploading an edited version. I also won't be uploading it until the entire thing is done because I don't want to end up abandoning it again. I've already edited the existing chapters and written a new chapter, so know I am definitely working on it in between chapters of this. Anyway, I'm really excited about it and I hope you are too!

The bridge was empty except for the two of them, the flickering of bright stars in the vast dark sky their backdrop. The General raised a gloved hand and placed it lightly on his face, thumb stroking his cheekbone gently. Dopheld leaned into the touch.

“You’ve been an invaluable member of this crew, lieutenant.” Dopheld preened at the praise.

“Thank you, sir,” he responded, looking up into icy green eyes. “I only want to make you proud.” Hux smiled and his hand slipped into Dopheld’s hair.

“You do,” he murmured, pulling his face closer and leaning down to meet him. “You really do.” Dopheld’s eyes slid shut once again as he tilted his head up, rising up on his toes. His heart pounded in his chest. He felt a warm puff of breath across his face, the other a mere hairsbreadth away. For one blissful moment, their lips touched.

“Turn that shit off!”

Dopheld blinked his eyes open blearily as something thick and soft hit his face and fell to the floor. He reached over and slapped at his chronometer, ceasing the loud beeping it was emitting. He sat up and rubbed at his face, willing his mind awake. As he closed his eyes, the General’s face swam before him. He groaned even as he felt his body warm. He’d been having dreams about his superior for the past week, ever since his first real conversation with the man at breakfast. In the time following that meeting, Dopheld had found his work load to be less than it usually was which allowed him to have caf and conversations with the General on a daily basis. With all the bonus time around the man, his brain seemed to have run wild.

Swinging his legs over the bed, he noticed his roommate’s balled up socks, clearly the weapon used to wake him up. He kicked the bundle to the other side of the room before gathering his belongings and making his way to the ‘freshers.

*

As Dopheld went about his duties, he found himself distracted as he thought about his new relationship with the General. He had always greatly admired the man in many ways and often hoped that they could work more closely. He has never seen the other man outside of their work cycles and wasn’t sure what he would be like. He certainly hadn’t expected him to be as kind and charming as he was. A small voice in his head suggested that perhaps the General was only that way with him. _Surely not_. He shook the thought from his head and got back to work.

While he had spent more time this past week with General Hux, he’d also noticed an increase in Lord Ren’s appearance. He seemed to always be on the bridge when Hux was there and he had barged into the General’s office more than once during their conversations. He didn’t know if this was normal behavior for the Knight or if something had happened to spur the change, but the whole thing made him very uncomfortable.

As though summoned by his thoughts, the General appeared on the bridge, followed closely by Lord Ren. Dopheld saw that the General was speaking quietly to the Knight, voice pitched too low for anyone else to hear their conversation. The Knight appeared to be silent, helmet tilted towards the other man to show he was listening. They were standing closer to each other than they usually did and there didn’t seem to be any malice or negativity between them. Dopheld thought this to be surprising. He couldn’t recall a time he’d ever seen the two men be civil to each other. Perhaps that was part of the reason the Knight had been around so often? The General still seemed just as irritated when Ren barged into his office, though. It was all very confusing.

At that moment, Dopheld was distracted from his thoughts as he noticed their subject walking over to his station.

“General,” he saluted. General Hux’s lips quirked up slightly.

“Greetings, lieutenant. I trust everything is in order here.” Dopheld’s heart began to pound as the General moved to stand beside him to look over the screen. He swallowed and attempted to steady himself before speaking.

“Yes, sir. All systems are running smoothly.” He then spent the next few minutes updating the General about the status of the ship.

“Excellent work,” he said when Dopheld had finished his report. Dopheld beamed at the praise. “I expect I will see you at 1500 hours?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Wonderful.” Hux smiled at him and turned to check in with the rest of the crew members. 

Dopheld smiled to himself and went back to work but was interrupted by a shadow falling over his station. He looked up and took an involuntary step back when he saw Ren standing a mere few feet away.

“L-Lord Ren!” The Knight remained silent, looming over him. “Is there-is there something I c-can help you with,” he asked, looking up into that blank mask. Finally he spoke, voice flat.

“You’ve been an invaluable member of this crew, lieutenant.” Dopheld’s eyes widened. He’d never heard of the Knight praising anyone, not even the General. The words sounded familiar to him, however, though he couldn’t put his finger on why.

“Thank you, my- my Lord?” He stuttered over the title, having never spoken so many words to the Knight before. “I try to make my work something to be proud of.” The Knight took a step closer and Dopheld found himself craning his neck to look up at the mask.

“You do,” he replied, a hint of amusement making its way through the modulator. “You really do.”

Suddenly it clicked and his blood ran cold. He stared at the helmet floating above him, frozen. _He couldn’t know about that_. Dopheld had heard rumors of the Knight’s mind-reading abilities before, tales of men’s deepest secrets ripped out of their very soul, but had assumed they were just wild stories people made up to spread fear of the unknown. But there was no other explanation for this save a terribly cruel coincidence.

“Ren, why are you antagonizing my crew?” Dopheld whipped his head around to find the General standing behind him. His blood rushed to his face. _He hadn’t heard Ren, had he?_

“I was simply commending the lieutenant for his excellent work. Isn’t that right, Mitaka?” Hearing his name through the vocoder sent chills down his body and he nodded quickly, eyes downcast, afraid of angering the tall Knight.

“I find that incredibly hard to believe.”

Ren took a step closer to the General, using his slight height difference to look down at him. Dopheld felt a flash of anger at the Knight’s audacity.

“Why is that, General?” Ren’s voice was low, rumbling static. “I’ve always found competence to be a... rather attractive trait.” There was silence for a moment while the two commanders looked at each other- or at least it appeared as though Ren was looking at the General. Finally, Hux spoke.

“Nonetheless, I would appreciate it if you didn’t frighten my crew with your theatrics.” There was a strange sound that Dopheld suspected may have been _laughter_ from the Knight.

“As you wish, _General_.” At that, Lord Ren turned and left the bridge, cape flaring out around him. Dopheld turned to thank the General, but stopped when he looked at him. Hux was still staring after the Knight, though he was no longer visible. He had a sort of considering look on his face, brows knitted together. Dopheld called his name and the General seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts.

“Are you alright, Mitaka? He truly wasn’t bothering you?” Dopheld shook his head with a forced smile.

“No, sir. I was a bit intimidated, though.” Hux nodded.

“Yes, he can be a bit much.” He looked to where the Knight had left again before smiling distractedly at him and walking off. Dopheld closed his eyes and took a deep breath to settle himself before getting back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo Mitaka's straight up not having a good time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The General follows through on his offer to Mitaka and the latter comes to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this will be wrapped up in one last chapter! I'm very excited. I hope you all like it.

“Caf?”

”Yes please, sir.”

Dopheld held out his mug for General Hux to fill. They sat at the desk in his office for a late lunch, as had become typical in recent weeks. They’d talked about a variety of things in that time, from their home planets to childhood stories to anecdotes about their time in the First Order. Dopheld found the General to be quite eloquent and engaging, managing to draw him in with the same rapt attention he felt during his intense speeches, without ever having to raise his voice.

The two men sat in silence, each engaged in their own thoughts as they ate their food, before Dopheld worked up the courage to bring up what had been nagging at him.

”Sir?” Hux looked up from his food and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I was wondering if the offer you made a few weeks ago was still on the table.” At the tilt of the General’s head, he added: “About the roommate situation.”

”Ah! Yes, of course.” He smiled knowingly at him. “Has your companion finally become too much to bear?”

Dopheld nodded but didn’t look up from his food. While his roommate was quite a burden to deal with, he didn’t want to mention that the real reason was because he’d been having increasingly frequent dreams about the General and was afraid he’d resume his childhood habit of talking in his sleep.

”Let’s see.” Dopheld looked up to see that the General had picked up his datapad and was tapping away at it. “Would you like a new roommate or would you prefer a room of your own?”

”If at all possible, a room of my own would be preferable.” Hux nodded and continued tapping.

”I have to warn you, the only single unit rooms available to you would be rather small. You may find it a bit cramped.”

”That’s fine, sir. I don’t need a lot of room.”

”Excellent.” General Hux worked on the datapad for several minutes in silence before finally placing it back down on the table. “That should do it. Give it a few days to process, as I may have to talk to some people, and you should be moved within the week.” 

“Thank you, sir! This really means a lot to me and I appreciate you taking the time out of your day for something so insignificant.”

”Nonsense, Mitaka. The comfort of my crew is incredibly important to me. You especially deserve a reward for all the hard work you do.”

When their eyes met, the General smiled and Dopheld was rendered speechless. The expression appeared so genuine: the skin around his eyes crinkled, his eyes twinkled, little dimples formed in his cheeks, the lights cast a soft golden halo around his ginger hair, and his name in his mouth sounded like the stars themselves singing to him. He felt almost blinded by the glowing creature before him.

Dopheld knew then that he needed to say something. Hux had been so kind to him and he was sure the favoritism wasn’t just his imagination. The General was fond of him. Whether that fondness extended past a platonic feeling, he didn’t know but he was determined to find out. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves and prepared to ask the man before him to dinner that night. It could be seen as a friendly gesture, an offering to give thanks for the kind gesture offered to him, but it could also become more if both parties were willing. He certainly was. Steeling himself, he opened his mouth to speak.

“General Hux, I was wondering if perhaps you would like...to...have...” he trailed off.

”Apologies, just a moment.” 

Dopheld deflated as the General picked up his datapad that had started beeping loudly almost as soon as he had begun speaking. Hux’s eyebrows pinched together as he stared at the pad in silence before swiping his finger across the screen.

”Ren, what is it n-now...?“ Dopheld was startled when the usually unflappable General stuttered and trailed off as he stared at the screen in surprise and...perhaps something else.

“You asked me to report to you when I returned from my mission, did you not?”

It took a moment for him to realize why the voice coming from the device sounded so strange. It was deeper than normal and smoother, an almost melodic cadence to the words that had a surprisingly regal accent. _He’s not wearing his helmet. That’s his real voice._ Dopheld had to restrain himself from peeking over the desk to see the screen, desperately curious to see if the Knight was visible. Almost as if sensing his thoughts, the General pulled the pad slightly closer to himself.

”You’re correct, I did request that,” he said absently, whatever he was seeing clearly distracting him enough that he forgot to be angry at Ren’s sarcasm. He looked up from the call and jolted, apparently having forgotten about Dopheld’s presence. “Lieutenant, I apologize. This is classified information, so I’m afraid we will have to cut our lunch short.”

”Of course, sir.” He tried not to let his disappointment show as he gathered the rest of his food and stood from his chair. Hux had already returned to looking down at the datapad, eyes moving quickly over the screen as he devoured whatever was being shown to him. Ren was curiously silent.

Just before the door closed behind him, he heard the General’s breath hitch followed by the low rumble of a laugh.

*

Dopheld stormed to his rooms after his shift was over, relieved by the knowledge that his roommate would still be in the middle of his shift. After his lunch with the General had been cut short, he’d disposed of the remainder of his food and went back to his station, throwing himself into his work to distract himself from the meeting. He barely looked up from his tasks and only spoke when required to. Finally, the cycle ended and it was time for him to return to his quarters. He tried not to think about how the General hadn’t returned to the bridge for the rest of his shift.

He seethed as he gathered his clothes, sitting on the bed to remove his boots before letting his head fall into his hands.

He knew what Ren was doing. He was toying with the General. Using him. Taking advantage of him for his own gain. He had been distracting the General constantly, drawing him away from both important tasks for the Order and just as important leisure time. He was probably trying to drain the General’s energy, distract him from his work, and get him to let his guard down so he could take his position from him. Dopheld knew these were treasonous thoughts, but he couldn’t think of another game the Knight may be playing.

The General deserved better than Ren. He deserved to be treated with respect and admiration. He deserved to have someone who valued and cherished his thoughts and opinions, not an arrogant Knight who only cared about his own priorities and treated him like trash. Lord Ren didn’t care about the General’s feelings. In fact, he seemed to relish in causing the man distress. It was infuriating to Dopheld and he hated that Hux had to deal with that man. He deserved someone better. He deserved someone like _him_. 

With those thoughts in mind, Dopheld finished gathering his clothes and went to take a sonic shower, which he usually took in the mornings, determined to be the best he could be for what he planned to do.

He was going to find the General and he was going to tell him how he felt. He was going to tell him that he deserved someone who would love him and bring him happiness.

He was going to offer to be that someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this scene, I just titled it "Mitaka is angy!!!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries are made and emotions are felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe I did it? I can't.

Dopheld stood before the door to the General’s office, back straight, chin raised, at parade rest as he waited to be let into the room.

After his sonic, he had made sure his uniform was pristine, boots shined to near mirror reflectiveness, and hair slicked back severely in the hopes of being as visually appealing as possible. Once he was confident in his appearance and after making sure the General was not on the bridge, he made his way quickly through the Finalizer, pace quick enough that he would have no time to second guess himself. His legs had brought him to where he now stood and he’d requested access to the room immediately, pausing only to take a deep breath and smooth his hair one last time. Then he’d waited.

He was still waiting and his confidence was starting to fall. Did the General not want to see him? _No, perhaps he was just immersed in his work and lost track of his surroundings_ , he told himself. With another deep breath, he reached out and requested access a second time, hoping the other man wouldn’t be annoyed with his insistence.

When several more minutes passed without an answer, Dopheld reluctantly conceded that Hux wasn’t going to open the door, either because he didn’t want to or because he wasn’t there. Hoping for the latter, he decided to go check his private quarters.

Making his way to the nearby room, he again tried not to let his mind wander. He didn’t want his anxiety to talk him out of what he needed to do. Mind relatively clear, he arrived in no time to the General’s quarters. He was still worried Hux might be annoyed with his insistence to talk to him, but he pushed that fear down and requested entrance.

A few minutes later, he requested entrance again.

Shoulders slumping and confidence practically nonexistent, he turned and walked away with no particular destination in mind, finally allowing his anxiety ridden thoughts to fill his brain. _Would Hux even want him? Would he simply laugh him away for even suggesting a lieutenant such as himself deserved to be with the most powerful man in the First Order, second only to the Supreme Leader? After all, Lord Ren was the only person in the universe that was his equal, whether he deserved to be or not._

As his mind continued to fill with doubt, he found himself in a deserted corridor he didn’t immediately recognize, which wasn’t too surprising on a ship as large as this one. He looked around and thought he heard voices coming from an open doorway. Curiosity bringing him back to himself, he slowly walked over to the room and peered in.

It was one of the lounges found all around the ship, meant for the crew to relax and socialize in their free time as a way to improve morale. The room was a mirror of the others with its large viewport and smattering of armchairs and loveseats. What grabbed his attention, however, was that the room was occupied. When he realized just who was standing before the viewport, he jumped back and hid behind the doorway. After a few deep breaths, he slowly peeked into the room again, careful not to be seen.

General Hux stood several feet away, arms at his side. Dopheld took advantage of being hidden and allowed himself to observe his profile openly: strong nose, sharp cheekbone, soft looking fiery hair carefully styled, equally soft looking pink lips, lithe body and pert- Shaking his head to clear it, he turned to take in the man across from the General.

The first thing he noticed was the hair. It was dark and full, waves cascading to his shoulders, definitely against regulation. He had a large nose, soft jawline, and extremely plush lips. Beauty marks scattered like a constellation across his face and his dark eyes, which were fixed on the General, were soft. As he took in the intriguing features, the man spoke. The words were too soft for him to hear, but the deep timber and cadence struck him as familiar. Moments later, realization hit him and he slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his gasp.

_Lord Ren?!_

He felt foolish for not recognizing the robe and tunic with its pleated sleeves. Dopheld couldn’t believe how young the man was- _he really was a man after all_ \- and how… _pretty_ he looked.

Ren continued to speak softly. He strained to hear, but he was only able to pick up a few words: try, force, drawn, desire. Hux seemed to ask a question, which made Ren chuckle and nod. Hux nodded in return. Dopheld couldn’t read his expression. Ren said something more which made Hux raise his head. He then stepped forward and reached up to cup Hux’s cheek. Dopheld watched in shock as Ren then leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Indignant on the General’s behalf, he stepped forward and was about to intervene when Hux surged up and buried his hands in Ren’s hair, deepening the kiss. The Knight’s hand left his cheek and his arms wrapped around his waist and held him close, almost cradling him. Dopheld was frozen in place, heart beating painfully in his chest. After awhile, the two commanders parted and pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed. The moment felt incredibly intimate. Feet no longer stuck to the floor, Dopheld turned and quickly but quietly made his way down the corridor, feeling numb.

As he walked blindly, he couldn’t get the image of the General out of his mind. After the kiss, Hux had looked more at peace than Dopheld had ever seen him. He’d certainly never looked that way in _his_ presence. His feet came to a halt and he brought his fingers up and rubbed at his eyes. Looking up, he was surprised to note he had arrived at his room. With a sigh, he entered and removed his boots, throwing them in the corner.

“Hey! Have some respect! Some of us are trying to sleep here!”

Dopheld ignored him and climbed into his bed, still fully clothed, and closed his eyes.

~

Dark eyes glanced at the doorway and watched the shadowy figure hurry away. Gloved hands held the man in his arms a little tighter, feeling smug. The General was _his_. He would never let anyone take him from him, especially not some mousy little lieutenant.

Bringing his attention back to the ginger, he smiled softly, heart warming. He nuzzled their noses together, eliciting a huff of amusement from the smaller man, before capturing his lips once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first multi-chapter work I've ever completed! What a ride. I know this isn't very long, but I put a lot of effort into it and I'm pretty happy with where I've ended up.
> 
> Who wants to read this from Kylo's perspective??? I'm thinking of writing the final scene so you all can be more enlightened of what the boys were talking about and how they got there, but if enough people are interested, I may be willing to write the entire thing from his pov.
> 
> Thanks for being here and let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm highwarlockofphilly on tumblr and xavierbeesmith on twitter (I can't get links to work on here rip)  
> Check out my instagram if you wanna see my terrible kylux art at xs_trash_art  
> Feel free to talk to me! I love making new friends.  
> Let me know what you think!


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